Universal joint.



N .801 934. PATENTED 0GT.17 1905.

0 G. W. TONEY.

UNIVERSAL JOINT. APPLICATION FILED FEB. 27, 1905- Inverctar Zliitneass: 35L ZOWZZA 6i. i 5% w co aoroumosnwsns msmcvou. u c.

No. 801,934. PATENTED OCT. 17, 1905.

G. W. TO-NEY. UNIVERSAL JOINT.

. APPLICATION FILED FEB. 2'1, 1905.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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witnesses:

UNITED STATES-4 PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE W. TON EY, OF WALTHAM, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO FRANK BURGESS, OF QUINCY, MASSACHUSETTS.

UNIVERSAL JOINT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 17, 1905.

Application fil d rtbrm zv, 1905. Serial No. 227,407.

To It whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE W. TONEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at VValtham, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements in Universal Joints, of which the following is a specification.

The object of this invention is to prov idea strong, simple, and durable universal joint which shall present a large bearing-surface in proportion to its diameter and which shall also present a neat and finished appearance, free from projecting arms or parts which are liable to catch the clothing of operators, resulting in accidents.

The object of this invention is, further, to provide a universal joint which is so constructed that a portion of the joint isso formed as to present keys which project into opposite sides of the shafts, connected to said joint at its opposite ends, so that any end thrust or torsional strain imparted to said shafts is transferred to said keys and directly to the ball interposed therebetween.

The invention consists in the combination and arrangen'ient of parts set forth in the following specification and particularly pointed out in the claims thereof.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a frontelevation, partly broken away and shown in section, of my universal joint with a portion of a shaft fast to each of the opposite ends thereof. Fig. 2 is an end elevation taken from the right-hand side of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 isa longitudinal section, partly in elevation, taken on line 3 3 of Fig. 2 looking toward the right in said figure, a portion of a shaft being shown in the right-hand end thereof and the shaft removed from theleft-hand end thereof. Fig. 4 is a section, partly in elevation, taken on line 4 4 of Fig. 3 looking toward the left in said figure. Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the ball viewed from the left of Fig. 3. Fig. 6 is a plan view of a portion of one of the shafts to which the universal joint is attached. Fig. 7 is a section taken on line 7 7 of Fig. 6. Fig. 8 is a detail front elevation of one of the yokes. Fig. 8 is a detail front elevation of the other yoke. Figs. 9 to 16, inclusive, are views of a modified form of my invention. Fig. 9 is a front elevation, partly in section, of a modified form of my improved universal joint, showing a portion of a shaft fast to the opposite ends thereof. Fig. 10 is an end elevation viewed from the right of Fig. 9. Fig. 11 is a longitudinal section, partly in elevation, taken on line 11 11 of Fig. 10 looking toward the right in said figure with the shafts removed- Fig. 12 1s a-transverse section therefrom. taken on line 12 12 of Fig. 11. Fig. 13 is a side elevation of the ball as viewed from the left of Fig. 11. Fig. 14 is a plan view, and Fig. 15 a front elevation, of the inner sleeve; and Fig. 16, a detail front elevation of one of the yokes. Fig. 17 is adetail front elevation of the other of said yokes.

Like numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views of the drawings.

In the drawings, Figs. 1 to 8, inclusive, 20 is a ball provided in its periphery with two annular grooves 21 and 22 at right angles to each other. Two yokes 23 and 24 are con nected to the ball 20. The yoke 23 consists of an annular ring portion 25, which fits into the groove 21 and extends entirely therearound. Said yoke further consists of a flat shank portion 26, which is divided into two parts, preferably by a plane coincident with the median center line of the joint. The shank 26 has a recess 27 formed in the outer end thereof. The yoke 23 has a curved recess 28 formed in the ring portion thereof adjacent to the ball 20., The yoke 24 is an exact duplicate of the yoke 23 and consists of an annular ring portion 29 and a flat shank portion 30, said yoke being divided in two parts and having a recess 31 at its outer end and a curved recess 32 adjacent to the ball 20. The yoke 23 has also a curved recess 33 in the outer periphery of the ring portion thereof diametrically opposite to the curved recess 28, and the yoke 24 has a corresponding curved recess 34 in the periphery of the annular ring portion 29 diametrically opposite the curved recess 32.

Two sleeves 35 and 36 are rotatably mounted upon the ball 20, said sleeves each consisting of a hollow cylindrical portion 37, terminating in a concavo-spherical end 38, which fits the periphery of the ball 20, the adjacent edges of the concavo-spherical ends 38 being separated when in the position illustrated in the drawings, Figs. 1 and 3, by a space 39. The cylindrical portions 37 upon the sleeves 35 and 36 are each provided with keyways 40 upon diametrically opposite sides of their interior bores, into which key ways the shanks 26 and 30, respectively, project. A cross-pin Lll . c tst shank 26 tothe sleeve 35, and a cross-pin 42 connects the shank 30 to the sleeve 36.

The space 39 between the adjacent edges of the concavo-spherical ends 38 is at all times covered by adust-guard 43, made in two parts of hemispherical shape, each of said parts provided with an annular flange 44, said flanges being screwed together, so as to make the two parts of the shell a portion of a sphere which fits the exterior of the concavo-spherical ends 38 and also at all times in all positions of the joint covers the space 39. This dustguard 43 is mounted loosely upon the concavospherical ends 38 of the sleeves and 36- that is, it is not fastened to either one of said sleeves, but is free to rock upon their outer surfaces. The advantage gained from this construction and mounting of the dust-guard loosely upon the concave-spherical ends of the sleeves is that said dust-guard accommodates itself to the sleeves with less friction or cram ping and, moreover, allows a more extended surface upon the exterior of said sleeves to be covered by the dust-guard for a certain angular motion than would be the case if said dust-guard were fastened rigidly to one of the sleeves. For instance, it will be readily seen by reference to Fig. 3 that if the dustguard were fast to one of the sleeves the angular motion of one end of the joint as compared with the other would be limited by the space between the end of the dust-guard and the periphery of the cylindrical portion of the other sleeve, whereas if the dust-guard is mounted loosely upon the sleeves the angular motion would be twice the distance between the edge of the dust-guard and the periphery of the sleeve adjacent to said edge.

The ball 20 is provided with oil-passages 45 45, opening into the annular grooves 21 and 22, and with an oil-supply passage 46, which extends from the periphery of said ball into said oil-passages 45. The shafts 47 and 48 are fastened to opposite ends of the joint by providing in each of said shafts keyways 49, extending longitudinally of the periphery of said shafts from one end thereof, and also with a keyway 50, connecting said keyways 49 49 and extending transversely across the end of said shafts. The end of the shaft 47 is inserted in the cylindrical portion of the sleeve 35, the flat shank portion 26 projecting into the keyways 49 49 and into the cross keyway 50. Said shaft is then fastened to the cylindrical portion of the sleeve by a cross-pin 51. The end portion of the shaft 48 is inserted in the sleeve 36, as shown in Fig. 1, and the flat shank portion 30 of the yoke 24 enters the keyways 49 49 and the cross keyway 50 in said shaft 48. Said shaft 48 may be fastened to the sleeve 36 by a cross-pin similar to the crosspin 51, by which the shaft47 is attached to the sleeve 35, or, as illustrated in Fig. 1, said cross-pin may be omitted and the shaft 48 allowed to slide longitudinally thereof in said sleeve 36, the advantage obtained from this construction being that while the joint is capable of transferring rotary motion from the shaft 47 to the shaft 48 said shafts may slide relatively to each other in the joint, so that when the joint is used in an automobile where the distance between the points to which the shafts 47 and 48 are connected varies in the motion of said vehicle over a rough ground, the joint will compensate for this difference in distance by allowing the shaft 48 to slide longitudinally thereof.

The operation of the ball-joint hereinbefore described is similar to other universal joints well known to those skilled in this art. The advantages, however, derived from its construction consist in the fact that the annular ring portions 25 and 29 extend entirely around the ball, the recesses 33 and 34 in the outer peripheries of said ring portions providing a comparatively thin section upon each of said ring portions, which thin sections extend through the curved recesses 32 and 28, respectively. Another advantage of the construction hereinbefore described resides in the fact that the shafts 47 and 48 may be left of their full diameter and that said shafts will be fastened to the sleeves 35 and 36, respectively, by the fiat shank portions 26 and 30, respectively, these fiat shank portions acting as keys to fasten the shafts to the sleeves and also acting as keys which extended enter the annular grooves 21 and 22 in the ball 20, so that the keys which fasten the shafts to the sleeves also fasten said shafts to the ball 20 and rotatabl y connect said shafts to each other. and, further, any end thrust or torsional strain applied to one shaft is directly transferred by said flat yokes through the ball 20 to the other shaft. The advantage of the construction of the dust-guard as to the large surface covered by said dust-guard and its freedom from binding has already been set forth. It will therefore be seen and understood that the advantages of great strength, compactness, and durability result from the construction hereinbefore described, the yokes acting as keys to connect the shafts, sleeves, and ball together, and in manufacture the joint hereinbefore described has many advantages due to the fact that the keys being flat may be hardened and accurately fitted to the grooves in the ball and to the keyways in the sleeves and shafts.

In Figs. 9 to 16, inclusive, a modified form of my improved ball-joint is illustrated, said modified form being particularly adapted for use where small sizes of ball and shaft are used. In such sizes the outer sleeve becomes too small and thin when counterbored to admit a practical-sized shaft and to admit a practical and strong yoke of the largest possible diameter to admit of a keyway being formed upon its interior bore, and therefore in such small sizes I use an inner sleeve as well as an outer sleeve and form the keyways in said inner sleeve into which the flat shank 'portions of the yokes project. The inner sleeve, while being made in a separate piece from the outer sleeve. still is pinned to said outer sleeve, so that the two sleeves form in operation and effect a single piece. Referring to the modilied form of my improved ball-joint, as illustrated in Figs. 9 to 16, inclusive, is the ball, provided with annular grooves 21 and 22, and to said ball are attached two yokes 2. and 24, the yoke 23 being provided with an annular ring portion 25 and with a flat shank portion 26, said flat shank portion being provided with a recess 27 and the annular ring portion 25 being cut away to form a space 33. The yoke 24 consists of an annular ring portion 29 and a flat shank portion 30, provided with a recess 31 and cutaway at 34: to form a recess. The annular ring portion 25 fits in the annular groove 21, and the annular ring portion 29' [its in the groove 22. The sleeves 35 and 36 consist, respectively, of inner sleeves 35 and 36 which are fastened to outer sleeves 35 and 36 by cross-pins 51. The cross-pins 51 also fasten the sleeves 35 and 36, hereinbefore referred to, to the shafts 47 and. 48. The inner sleeves 35 and 36 are each provided with keyways 49, extending longitudinally of the periphery thereof, and with a keyway 50, extending transversely across one end of said inner sleeves. The cross-pins i1 and 4:2 fasten the sleeves 35 and 36, respectively, to the flat shank portions 26 and 30. The adjacent ends of the outer sleeves 35 and 36 are made concave to fit the periphery of the ball 20. The operation of the joint as a whole is similar to the joint hereinbefore described, the yokes 23 and 24: forming keys which project at one end into the grooves of the ball 20 and at their other ends into the keyways 49 and 50, formed in the periphery and end, respectively, of the inner sleeves 35 and 36 so that any end thrust or torsional strain imparted to the shaft 47 is transmitted through. said keys and through the ball 20 to the shaft 48. The construction of the ball-joint illustrated in Figs. 9 to 16, inclusive, also possesses the advantage of being able to leave out the cross-pin 51' from one end of said ball-joint when it is desired to have a longitudinal sliding motion of one of the shafts 47 or 48 with relation to the ball-joint and to the other of said shafts. In the small sizes of shafts it will be noted that the ring portions 25 and 29 are cut away across their entire width at 33' and 34:, respectively, in order to make clearance for the yokes 24 and 23, respectively, said ring portions being of too slight thickness to make it practical for general use to continue them entirely around the ball, as in the form illustrated in Figs. 1 and 3.

It will be seen and understood, referring particularly to the form of my invention illustrated in Figs. 1 to 8, inclusive, that, as hereinbefore stated, the yokes 23 and 24 form keys, which connect the shafts 47 and 4:8 to the ball 20 and also to the sleeves 35 and 36, so that the end thrust upon one shaft is transferred through said sleeves and ball to the other shaft 48 and any torsional strain imparted to the shaft 47 will be transmitted through the yokes 23 and 24 and through the ball 20 to the shaft 48. The concavo-spherical portions 38 of the sleeves act as a means for preventing the annular ring portion of the yokes 25 and 29, respectively, from springing away from the ball, so that said sleeves also act to take a portion of the strain transmitted, as hereinbefore referred to, from one shaft to the other by reason of end thrust imparted to said shafts or by torsional strain.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire by Letters Patent to secure, is

l. A universal joint comprising in its'construction a ball provided in its periphery with an annular groove, a yoke consisting of an annular ring portion located in said groove and a fiat shank portion, said shank portion divided in two parts, and a sleeve fast to said yoke.

2. A universal joint comprising in its construction a ball provided in its periphery with an annular groove, a yoke consisting of an annular ring portion extending entirely around said ball located in said groove and a flat shank portion, said shank portion divided in two parts, and a sleeve fast to said yoke.

3. A universal joint comprising in its construction a ball provided in its periphery with an annular groove, a yoke consisting of an annular ring portion located in said groove and a flat shank portion, said shank portion divided in two parts, and a hollow sleeve provided with a keyway into which keyway said shank projects.

4. A universal joint comprising in its construction aball provided in its periphery with an annular groove, a yoke consisting of an annular ring portion located in said groove and a flat shank portion, said shank portion divided in two parts, and a hollow sleeve provided with keyways upon opposite sides thereof, into which keyways said shank projects.

5. A universal joint comprising in its construction a ball provided in its periphery with an annular groove, a yoke consisting of an annular ring portion located in said groove and a flat shank portion, said shank portion divided in two parts, a hollow sleeve provided with a keyway into which keyway said shank projects, and a shaft projecting into said sleeve and provided with a keyway into which said shank portion projects.

6. A universal joint comprising in its construction aball provided in its periphery with an annular groove, a yoke consisting of an annular ring portion located in said groove and a flat shank portion, said shank portion divided in two parts, a hollow sleeve provided with a keywayinto which keyway said shank projects, and a shaft projecting into said sleeve and provided with a keyway extending 5 longitudinally of the periphery and across the end of said shaft, into which last-named keyway said shank projects.

7 A universal joint comprising in its construction a ball provided in its periphery with I an annular groove, a yoke consisting of an annular ring portion located in said groove and a fiat shank portion, said shank portion divided in two parts, a hollow sleeve provided with a keyway into which key way said shank 5 projects, said sleeve provided with a concavospherical end formed to lit the periphery of said balland the outer peripheral edge of said annular ring portion.

8. A universal joint comprising a ball provided in its periphery with two annular grooves at right angles to each other, two yokes, each consisting of an annular ring portion located in said grooves, respectively and a flat shank portion, each of said shank por- 5 tions divided in two parts, and a cylindrical sleeve encircling and fast to each of said flat shanks.

9. A universal joint comprising a ball provided in its periphery with two annular 3 grooves at right angles to each other, two

yokes, each consisting of an annular ring portion extending entirely around said ball located in said grooves, respectively, and a flat shank portion each of said shank portions divided in two parts, and a cylindrical sleeve encircling and fast to each of said flat shanks.

10. A universal joint comprising a ball pro-' vided in its periphery with two annular grooves at right angles to each other, two yokes each consisting of an annular ring portion located in said grooves, respectively, and a flat shank portion, each of said shank portions divided in two parts, and two hollow sleeves each provided with keyways upon opposite sides of its interior bore into which keyways said shanks project.

11. A universal joint comprising in its construction a ball, two sleeves connected to and rotatably mounted upon diametrically opposite sides of said ball, with a space between their adjacent edges, said sleeves each terminating in a concavo-spherical end formed to tit the peripheryof said ball, and adust-cover loosely mounted upon and formed to fit said spherical ends and extending across said space.

12. A universal joint comprising in its construction a ball, two sleeves connected to and rotatably mounted upon diametrically opposite sides of said ball, with a space between their adjacent edges, said sleeves each terminating in a concavo-spherical end formed to lit the periphery of said ball, and adust-cover in two partsfastened together loosely mounted upon and formed to tit said spherical ends.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

GEORGE W. TONEY. Witnesses:

CHARLES S. (JrOODING, ANNIE J. DAILm'. 

